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Words Precede Actions

Boy, Earl. Talk about convoluted logic. Just because a black person is accused of something doesn’t mean that the accuser is a bigot. Maybe, and I hope you’re sitting down or holding onto something sturdy here, it’s because that black person actually did something wrong.

Let’s take Michael Vick. Not only did he engage in dog fighting, but he tortured, killed and electrocuted those poor animals and allowed the female pit bulls to be raped. If you think that he was arrested because he is black, then you’re missing the point. His behavior didn’t make society the bigot. It made Vick the bully who deserved to have the book thrown at him. Even if his last name were Kennedy or Gandhi, he would have gotten what he had coming.

Then we have your other friend, a Mr. Kobe Bryant. We all slip up from time-to-time. We are only mere mortals. While a one hundred thousand dollar fine would be enough to make most people’s eyeballs rotate to the back of their heads, Kobe Bryant is making nineteen million dollars a year. So the fine is around one half of one percent of his salary. Even though he apologized for the slur, he can’t be all that sorry because he’s appealing anyway. He said that it is a matter of course, though if he were that sorry, he wouldn’t take that course.

Now the Lakers are on a damage control campaign, and watching these guys mumble things like “I know we can all do better than this” while the cameras roll is worth the entertainment value alone because we all know how kind and humble they are in the locker room. Though on the other hand, if one person listens, then it may be worth it.

In a world where words precede actions, like you once said, this might be a start.